


Flirting

by MoominQuartz (IceCreAMS)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drabble, F/F, Femslash February, Flirting, Fluff, POV Third Person Limited, Past Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22512757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreAMS/pseuds/MoominQuartz
Summary: Bismuth and Pearl get a little flirty in Bismuth's new forge.Takes place post-season 5, pre-movie. Happy Femslash February!
Relationships: Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 91





	Flirting

Bismuth has such wonderful hands.

Pearl tries not to think of it. 

But it’s so incredibly difficult when Bismuth is right before her, crafting. Her hands shapeshift between various tools of the trade, each serving a specific purpose, but none of them are as captivating as their true form.

Her hands are strong, protective, warm. Always opening in offering, never turning from one in need. Bismuth is safety.

“Shoot, Pearl.” Bismuth's voice is rough, edging up in pitch. Shy. “You’re not gonna get your new upgrade any sooner, now matter how you look at me.”

Pearl laughs, cheeks burning blue. “Well, if it isn’t slowing you down, then what’s the issue?”

This is new and familiar all at once. It has been years since they flirted like this. Thousands for Pearl, and only a handful for Bismuth. Since then Pearl has loved and lost, and she knows Bismuth is more than aware of that.

As affectionate as they are, Bismuth’s left the ball in her court. The ground is shaky; territory not new or unexplored, but left for long enough that there may be plenty of surprises growing in their absence. 

“Maybe it is.” Bismuth glances at her then, a sly wink tossed her way. If Pearl had a heart, it would have skipped a beat. “Hard to focus with you around.”

“Oh?” Pearl laughs, dignified and proper. “I would never accuse you of being easily distracted.”

“I’m not.” There is a fire in her voice, a fire that lights one in Pearl.

Pearl glances away, uncertain. She’s not sure how she did this so easily before. When Rose was around, things were different. Pearl knew who she was, what she was meant to do. But Bismuth…

Had Pearl ever taken these flirtations seriously? She doesn’t think so. She thinks maybe, in those years, she had been too much like her Diamond. Rose played with so many humans — hundreds, though Pearl has been trying to forget the exact number — but was Pearl not playing that same game with Bismuth?

Not all of the humans Rose toyed with were as lighthearted as she. Some of them wanted more than Rose would offer. If Rose hadn’t bubbled Bismuth, would Pearl have been that same person to her?

“Here you go.”

Pearl blinks, startled, as Bismuth hands her a freshly-crafted, freshly-cooled hilt. She admires the handiwork and tries to pretend she was not caught up in her thoughts for so long, it gave Bismuth all the time she needed to finish.

“You know…” Pearl looks up to catch Bismuth’s eye. There is a furrow to her brow that is almost never there. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready for it.”

“The upgrade?”  _ Oh.  _ “Oh — no, Bismuth.”

“I thought so.”

_ “No!”  _ Pearl frantically corrects her, Bismuth’s crestfallen face quickly turning into confusion as Pearl struggles to put her feelings into words. “No, I’m sorry, that isn’t what I meant. I… It isn’t that I’m ‘not ready’ for this.”

“Then what’s got you looking so blue?” Bismuth cracks a familiar, teasing smile; the play on words is not lost on Pearl, and it earns the smith a good-natured roll of her eyes.

“I only mean that… last time we were flirting in earnest, I don’t believe I was taking your intentions seriously.” Pearl plants the hilt across the spear, seizing the opportunity to work with her hands. “I was so eager to take the compliments you gave me that I offered them to you in turn. But I never gave you the respect you deserved.”

“Aw, Pearl.”

“I’m serious, Bismuth.” And is that a sign that their relationship hasn’t been serious enough, that Pearl needs to insist that? “I’m still… unsure, I suppose, of where I stand. Of whether or not I have the capacity for this kind of… relationship. But if —  _ when  _ I’m sure I’d like to do this again… I’d like to know that you’re also willing.”

There is a moment of silence between them. Bismuth sets a hand on her hip, weighing her next words carefully.

“I always knew you weren’t in it for anything more than a good time,” Bismuth says at last. “But I didn’t mind then. You were with Rose, after all. Back then I probably wasn’t ready for anything serious, either.”

She shouldn’t be so disappointed. “And now?”

“Now…” Bismuth shrugs, scratching at the back of her head. “Maybe by the time you’re ready for it, I will be, too.”

“Until then?”

“Until then…” Bismuth chuckles. Her blue cheeks darken. “Just… enjoy the hilt.”

Pearl can take a hint.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I love Femslash February, so I had to do something, and I am a _sucker_ for Bispearl. Hoping to do more oneshots but we'll see, with Jambudweek and everything. Hope you all enjoyed!


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